Hermes + Obsidian setup with Docker access controls

Callum demonstrates how to connect Hermes to an Obsidian vault while keeping human notes and agent output in the same folder structure. The tutorial uses Hermes' built-in Obsidian skill to create notes, search their contents and add wiki links. It treats the vault as a knowledge base, separate from agent memory about preferences and project status.

The setup places the vault inside a workspace mounted into Docker. Callum configures the vault path as the container sees it and passes the environment setting through to the container. He then tests note creation and linking before asking Hermes to initialize a Git repository and make a baseline commit. Later commits provide recovery points for saved changes.

The main lesson is the difference between instructions and enforced file access. Callum describes skill rules as a weak control because they depend on the AI agent following them. His Docker configuration gives one folder read-only access and masks another with an empty folder. In the demonstrated test, a write to the restricted folder fails, a write to the writable folder succeeds, and the masked folder appears empty.

The final section discusses separate access settings for profiles using cloud services or a local LLM. It introduces Hermes' LLM Wiki skill, but leaves the fuller wiki and memory workflow for later videos.